Introduction to the CAPA API
The goal of the CAPA API is for it to be a comprehensive REST interface allowing the programmatic retrieval of everything we have available (subject to licensing agreements). Every dynamic thing that you see on the CAPA website is available via API. This is a huge project and has resulted in an API with over 200 different URLs, so it may take a while to search through the documentation to find what you are after. There are also many URLs that are currently undocumented to end-users, but work is constantly ongoing to get these available. The API has been used in products to do things like:
- Automatically find PAX capacities of just-landed aircraft at airports based on tail numbers.
- Display Alerts in a mobile app.
- Integrate news and analysis with customer records in Salesforce.
- Automatically export traffic data for further processing by other applications.
- Find details on aircraft needing parts replaced.
The CAPA API is available as an addon to your existing CAPA Membership - please contact your Account Manager for more information.
Versioning
The CAPA API is unversioned. Unfortunately we don't have the resources to do API versioning. The documentation here will always reflect the current iteration of the API.
Once a new resource is added, it is unlikely that its output format will change. In any cases where there are new features added, we will endeavour to keep the output in a forwards-compatible format, adding keys but not changing existing ones.
Having said that though, it is possible that occasionally there will be refactoring or removal done of existing APIs. In the instances where this happens, ample notice will be given to consumers of those resources so they can update their applications.
Data Licensing
IMPORTANT: There are some data sets you will be unable to access via the API, due to the licensing agreements we have with the providers. The API documentation will note which sets are under additional restrictions. At the moment these are:
- Schedules: this cannot be accessed via API for third parties, due to our licensing agreement with OAG.
- Low Cost Carrier Penetration: this cannot be accessed via API for third parties, due to our licensing agreement with OAG.
- Airport Charges: this cannot be accessed via API for third parties, due to our licensing agreement with ATRS.
- Live Aircraft Locations: this cannot be accessed via API for third parties, due to our licensing agreement with Planefinder.
In all cases it may be possible for us to organise an agreement between you, CAPA, and various data providers in order to enable access to these APIs for your application. Contact your Account Manager for more information.
OpenAPI JSON Specification
If you need to download a JSON spec file for the API, it is always available at https://api.centreforaviation.com/spec.